Culturing of adherent animal cells is generally carried out by seeding a substrate with cells in the presence of a biological medium. The cell culture substrate and medium are important in providing an environment in which cells adhere and function in a manner similar to in vivo. The culturing of cells can provide a research tool for studying a number of different types of diseases and possible drugs for treating or preventing these diseases.
When cells are cultured on the surface of a substrate, the cells can be imaged by an optical microscope. Image based analysis, however, is tedious and not in real time. For example, in the case of bone cells, the cell culture has to be stopped and bleached to reveal the pits formed on the surface of the substrate. Thus, in addition to surface imaging, it would be desirable to have a substrate that permits additional detection techniques when cells are cultured on the substrate. Described herein are multi-purpose substrates and methods for producing the same that address these needs.